Sutiyoso orders immediate crackdown on pedicabs

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso, who last Thursday announced he was allowing becak (pedicabs) back on the capital's streets, urged city authorities yesterday to help eliminate the man- powered vehicles.

"I hope a crackdown will be held as soon as possible," Sutiyoso told reporters, giving no specific dates.

The mechanism to eliminate pedicabs was totally up to the city's five mayors, said the governor.

Traditionally, crackdowns against pedicabs in the capital involved personnel from the city's Public Order Agency, the Jakarta Military Command and the police.

Sutiyoso last Thursday announced that pedicabs would be temporarily tolerated on the city's streets, but hastily changed his mind about the three-wheeled vehicles six days later.

His decision to allow pedicabs in the city was met with harsh criticism, particularly from city councilors.

They said his decision violated the existing 10-year-old City Ordinance No. 11/1988 which prohibits pedicabs from operating at anytime, anywhere around the capital.

Some critics have asked Sutiyoso to help pedicab drivers take their vehicles back to their hometowns.

In 1988 and 1989, hundreds of pedicabs were netted and their drivers sent back to their hometowns after the enactment of the city ordinance.

Serious clashes between pedicab drivers and law and order officers were recorded during the crackdown.

Following Sutiyoso's initial announcement, at least 1,238 pedicabs have entered the capital from towns like Tangerang, Ciledug, Cilegon and Indramayu, all in West Java.

Speaking with the media yesterday, the governor also insisted that the city administration could not afford to return the pedicabs to their respective towns due to an inadequate budget.

"Actually, I want to do something to help them. If they need, for example, transportation means to carry their becak, (under normal circumstances) we could have deployed trucks from the City Sanitation Agency.

"But the current difficult economic situation makes it impossible," he said.

Sutiyoso's refusal to help the pedicabs drivers was strongly rejected by city councilors.

Transportation

Head of Commission E for social welfare, Soeparmo, said the administration should finance the transporting of the vehicles to the drivers' hometowns or give them transportation facilities.

"They came here based on the governor's announcement and they have spent much money, so it is not easy just to ask them to go back," he said.

Soeparmo said the governor should accept responsibility by giving them just a "small amount of money so they can take their becak home".

Sharing the idea, the commission's deputy head, Afif Hamka, said Sutiyoso's refusal to help transport the pedicabs and their drivers to their hometowns could cause another serious problem for the capital.

"Something bad could happen here," Afif reminded.

"There are thousands of pedicabs here, meaning that we should be careful in handling them," he added.

But, he said, it would be wise if the governor provided transportation facilities for these people to send their pedicabs back home.

Afif suggested Sutiyoso use funds allocated for emergency purposes in the city budget.

He also hoped that all personnel involved in the planned crackdown against pedicabs would be able to carry out their duties in a friendly manner.

When asked yesterday to comment on Sutiyoso not allowing the pedicabs to operate here after all and his refusal to send them back, many pedicab drivers looked blank in confusion.

"What? I just started operating this becak two days ago and haven't yet collected the amount it cost to bring my vehicle here," Jono, a pedicab driver at Kota Bambu Subdistrict in West Jakarta, said.

The father of two children said he had to pay Rp 30,000 to transport the pedicab here from his hometown of Indramayu, West Java.

"I came here because I heard the city administration was now allowing pedicab drivers to operate. Otherwise, I doubt I'd have had the courage (to come here)," he said.

Jono said he cane to the capital hoping for a better income.

"Here, I'm earning an average of Rp 6,000 per day.

"In my hometown, it would be my lucky day if I could get Rp 2,000 a day," he said.

"Now, I have no idea what to do next if the administration wants to ban pedicabs again," he said.

"Life is not easy in my hometown. Prices of foodstuffs are skyrocketing, while I also have to finance my children's education," Jono said grimly.

One of his colleagues, Rustiba, also criticized Sutiyoso's latest announcement.

"We are only common people trying to search for a better life. Life is getting harder and harder in my village," said the father of three who was formerly a farmer in Indramayu.

According to Jono, security personnel warned him yesterday not to drive his pedicab through the city's main roads. (ind)